The lives of iconic Dame Joan Collins and Jackie Collins to be immortalised in new TV series

UK-based company Fable Pictures have secured the rights to tell the story of the two sisters

2019-02-19

Words: Steve Brown

The lives of Dame Joan and Jackie Collins, OBE, will be immortalised in a new TV series.

UK-based independent production company Fable Pictures have secured the rights to tell the iconic story of the famous British sisters, who both pushed the boundaries of female success while challenging the status quo.

Known for now as Joan & Jackie, the series will follow the sisters on their pathways to fame with Joan becoming the iconic actress she is today and Jackie making her mark in the world of writing.

In a world long before the #MeToo movement, the two powerhouses managed to negotiate issues that many women still face today including sexism, misogyny, harassment, abuse, ageism and pay equality.

Emmy Award-winning casting director Nina Gold is on board to cast the six-hour series, which will be produced by Fable Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Television.

Joan is best known for starring in the original Dynasty series and became an immediate hit and won a Golden Globe for her performance. She has continued acting and starred in Ryan Murphy’s hit anthology series American Horror Story last year.

She was made a Dame in 2015 for her services to charity and was made an OBE in 1996 for her services to drama.

Her sister joined her in Los Angeles and began to write novels based on her own experiences and reinvented women’s fiction with her powerful and seductive female leads.

Jackie went on to write 32 New York Times bestselling novels and sold more than 500 million books around the world and in the 1970s, Joan starred in two films based around her books.

Weeks before her 78th birthday, she died of breast cancer in 2015.

Dame Joan Collins said: “I am delighted that such a prestigious team wants to tell our story, and I know my sister Jackie would be as excited as I am to be involved!”

Jackie Collins Daughters said: “We are delighted that Faye (Ward), Caroline (Harvey) and Sony Pictures Television will be producing the remarkable story of our mother and our aunt and their rise to stardom.

“Our mother always told us when we were growing up that ‘Girls can do anything!’ and Joan & Jackie will fabulously depict how true that is!”

Penelope Skinner – who will pen the series - said: “I am thrilled to be working on the fascinating story of these fabulous, iconic and powerful women.

“There is far more to Joan and Jackie than diamonds and shoulder pads: these are two very special sisters whose lives are both aspirational and inspirational.”

Faye Ward and Caroline Harvey added: “This is a dream project for us.

“We are delighted that the Collins' family have entrusted us with this empowering story about two exceptional sisters who challenged the status quo, set their hearts on their wildest Hollywood dreams and achieved them on their own terms.”